Are You ‘Young at Heart’?

Stay Young at Heart

Old age seems to be inextricably linked to heart disease, and as we get older, our hearts can’t beat as fast during physical activity or stress as they once did. This is because aging leads to changes in the heart and blood vessels. A few factors that could put extra pressure on our hearts include certain medications, emotional stress, physical exertion, certain illnesses, infections, and injuries.

How Does the Heart Change with Age?

With age you tend to develop a condition called arteriosclerosis in which your large arteries become stiffer, leading to a spike in blood pressure. There’s also a buildup of fatty deposits or plaques on the artery walls, which causes further hardening and narrowing of the arteries, thus restricting blood flow to the heart. This fatty deposits buildup or atherosclerosis often culminates in coronary artery disease, a major risk factor for heart attacks.

Hence, around the world, the 65-plus population is much more susceptible to a heart attack, a stroke, or developing coronary heart disease, than younger people. Heart disease is also a leading cause of disability, adversely affecting the quality of life of millions of elderly people the world over.

Aging also triggers changes in the electrical system which can lead to arrhythmias or irregular heartbeat, often necessitating a pacemaker implant. The heart valves, the gateway controlling blood flow between the chambers of your heart, could also become thicker and stiffer. This could hamper blood flow, causing fluid buildup in the lungs or in other parts of the body including legs, feet, and abdomen.

Thickening of the heart wall, usually caused by long-term hypertension, increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, another common heart rhythm problem in older people. There is also a genetic predisposition, but a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you avoid or delay serious illness.

Congestive heart failure is another very common condition linked to the older population. The incidence of congestive heart failure among the 75-plus is 10 times more than in younger adults. A few other problems that are associated with aging are:

Blood clots forming in the veins, mostly in the leg – deep vein thrombosis (when clots develop in the veins deep inside) and thrombophlebitis (when they form in veins closer to the surface),
Blood circulation disorder that causes the blood vessels outside your heart or brain to narrow, block, or spasm (peripheral vascular disease).
Sometimes faulty valves in the veins cause disruption in the direction of blood flow, resulting in enlarged, swollen twisted veins. These are called varicose veins.
Sometimes artery walls weaken increasing the risk of rupture and internal bleeding. This is called aneurysm. When this affects a major artery, it can cause serious complications.

Telltale Signs of Heart Disease

Often, early heart disease doesn’t show discernable symptoms. This is why you should go for periodic medical workups. If you feel any chest pain, unexplained pressure, or a strange discomfort, call your doctor. Please be cognizant of other signs and symptoms like:

Pain, numbness, and/or tingling sensation in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back
Shortness of breath when active, at rest, or a prone position
Chest pain during physical activity that gets better when you rest
Lightheadedness
Dizziness
Confusion
Headaches
Cold sweats
Nausea/vomiting
Unexplained fatigue or tiredness
Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, stomach, and/or neck
Reduced ability to exercise or be physically active

Also, arrhythmia s or abnormal rhythm problems of the heart are much more common in the older population than the young. So, please see a doctor if you experience a quiver in your chest or feel as if your heart is skipping a beat or beating faster than usual, particularly if you feel dizzy, tired, or breathless on exertion.

What can I do to keep Heart Disease at bay?

Try these small steps which can make a big difference:

Be physically active: Take up simple activities like brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, or gardening. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day, if you can. Don’t sit idle for too long at a stretch.

Quit smoking: It is now well established that smoking leads to the maximum number of preventable deaths. It further damages artery walls. Kicking the habit even at a later stage in life significantly lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Eat healthy: Stick to a diet that comprises plenty of fruits and vegetables and very little trans and saturated fats, added sugars and salt.

Watch your weight: There isn’t any magic formula. The guiding principle here is to balance the calorie intake with calories burnt. In other words, watch your meal portions, and exercise regularly.

Control your diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol: Stick to the medications prescribed by your doctor and maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet to keep these conditions/parameters under check. This is vital for your heart health.

Limit alcohol intake: Too much alcohol consumption on a regular basis only adds to the risk of heart disease. So watch that peg or pint.

Manage stress better: Stress is the biggest urban killer of modern times. To find an avenue to de-stress. Work out your stress management program – it could include yoga and meditation, playing a sport, or spending quality time with family and friends. Sometimes you may need professional help (from counselors) and even medications.

Check for sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a condition when a person’s breathing pauses during sleep. It is an added risk to your cardiovascular health and can be linked to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke, and even heart failure.

Get enough sleep: Adequate and undisturbed sleep helps repair your heart and blood vessels. You must try to achieve seven to nine hours of sleep.

Prevention is always the best treatment, but having said that not all factors or circumstances are in our control. At Medica, we have a team of the best cardiology doctors in Kolkata, who provide comprehensive heart care, including check-up programs and comprehensive diagnostic and treatment facilities.

Backache? Or Is It Your Spine?

Back pain, more specifically lower back pain (LBP), is perhaps the commonest medical problem worldwide, affecting over 80% of adults at some point in their lives. While in most cases, it isn’t a serious issue and gets better with rest, physical therapy and medication, lower back pain is also a leading cause of disability as per the Global Burden of Disease published in Lancet.

What causes LBP?

It can be precipitated by an injury to back muscles or tendons. Other triggers could include arthritis, structural problems or disk injuries. Of course, one must remember that severe pain doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a serious problem. Here are some common causes for LBP and it’s often a combination of factors:

Poor posture
Lack of exercise resulting in stiffening of the spine and weak muscles
Muscle strains or sprains

Apart from these, there are some specific conditions causing back pain, such as:

Spondylosis: With age,the bones, discs and ligaments in the spine naturally weaken, the discs in the spine become progressively thinner and the spaces between the vertebrae diminish. Little pieces of bone or osteophytes could form at the edges of the vertebrae and facet joints. This condition is spondylosis and is quite similar to changes brought about by osteoarthritis in other joints.

Sciatica: Sometimes,back pain is linked with pain in the legs, and numbness or a tingling sensation. This condition is called sciatica, which is usually caused by a bulging disc pressing on the nerve, causing the pain to travel all the way down to the leg and foot.

Spinal stenosis: In thiscondition, you feel pain in the legs as soon as you start walking, which gets better once you sit down.This could happen if the spinal canal or nerve root canal is squeezed by a bone or ligament, often the consequence of osteoarthritis.

Muscle or ligament strain: Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden jerky movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments and cause painful muscle spasms.
Neither sciatica nor spinal stenosis is a serious problem normally. However, if the symptoms are severe and your quality of life is badly affected, you should see a nerve doctor.

Other rarer causes

Bone problemsoften linked to thinning of the bones or osteoporosis
An infection
Atumour
Inflammation, as in ankylosing spondylitis, a long-term condition in which the spine and other areas of the body become inflamed.

When should you see a doctor?

Back pain often goes away on its own. However, in case you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please seek immediate medical help:

Difficulty controlling or passing urine
Loss of control of your bowels
Numbness around your back passage or genitals
Considerable weakness in your legs
Severe and continuous back pain getting worse
Changes in sexual function like being unable to achieve an erection

In case you are experiencing leg weakness, incontinence, and numbness simultaneously, you could have a serious illness called ‘cauda equina syndrome’, involving spinal cord nerve damage. This is a medical emergency, requiring immediate surgery to decompress the nerves and reduce permanent damage.

In fact, some injuries and conditions do need surgical repair. Fortunately, many of these procedures can be performed through the minimally invasive route.

Diagnosis of back pain

More often than not, it’s a ‘wait-and-watch’ approach with back pains. However, the doctor could advise tests if you’ve had an injury to your back, he/she suspects that there may be an underlying cause for your pain, or the pain refuses to go away.

X-rays are often not very useful since back pain is mostly caused by problems with soft tissues like ligaments and muscles, which don’t show up on X-rays. So the preferred tool is an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or a CT (computerised tomography) scan. Spondylosis-induced changes to the spine,however, can be seen on X-rays.

What could be really frustrating for patients is that sometimes even after a thorough investigation, it might not be possible to ascertain the cause for the back pain.

How do I prevent back pain?

A general improvement of your physical condition and proper body mechanics can help prevent back pains. Some cardinal rules are:

Exercise: Simple aerobic exercises can increase strength and endurance in your back, allowingthe muscles to function better. Walking and swimming are very good options.

Build muscle strength: Strengthening core a bdominal and back musclescan help those act like a natural corset for your back.

Watch your weight: Being overweight puts extra stress on your back muscles and can cause pain.

Kick smoking: Smoking is a known risk factor for low back pain. Quitting clearly helps reduce risk of LBP.

Stand straight: You should take care not to slouch and to maintain a neutral pelvic position. Good posture reduces stress on back muscles.

Sit smart: Your seat should have good lower back support, armrests and preferably, a swivel base. To maintain normal curvature, you can try placing a pillow or rolled towel in the small of your back. Change your position at least every half-hour.

Avoid heavy lifting: In case it is unavoidable, let your legs do the work. You must learn to keep your back straight, bend only at the knees and hold the heavy object close to your body.

Just remember that being active and exercising won’t make your back pain worse. You might feel a bit of pain and discomfort in the beginning, but staying active will eventually help you get better.

Our specialized Spine Department is comprehensively equipped to diagnose and treat all spinal injuries and disorders/diseases under the supervision of experienced specialists and surgeons.

Facts on Liver Transplant

Your liver is diagnosed as diseased when it stops performing its functions optimally. Alcohol overuse, hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver, liver cancer are some factors that may be responsible for liver damage. Over time, this damage results in its scarring (cirrhosis) which can lead to liver failure, a life-threatening condition.

A liver transplant surgery is also called a hepatic transplant. It helps save your life when your liver is not in a position to function anymore. The treatment involves replacing it with full, or part, of a healthy liver. This may come from a living or deceased donor.

1. What are the types of Liver Transplant?

The three main ways how a liver transplant surgery can be performed:

Deceased organ donation involving transplantation of a liver that has been removed from a person who has died recently
Living donor liver transplant involving removal of a section of liver from a living donor. This is because the liver is the only organ in the human body that can regenerate. The transplanted and the remaining section of the donor’s liver regrow into a fully functional, normal-sized liver
Split donation involves removal of liver from a person who died recently and splitting into two pieces; each piece is transplanted into a different person where they grow back to a normal size

2. When do people need a liver transplant?

A liver transplant surgery is required when someone is suffering from irreversible liver failure. Irreversible liver failure may be a result of Acute Liver Failure or Chronic Liver Disease resulting from Chronic Hepatitis, Cancer, or Liver Cirrhosis in adults.
In children, genetic causes may lead to acute liver failure and severe complications needing a transplant. Also, those diagnosed with early-stage Liver Cancer are most likely to benefit from Liver Transplant.

3. How are patients for liver transplant surgery determined?

Assessment by liver transplant specialists analyzes if a liver transplant is an appropriate treatment for a particular person. The assessment includes an analysis of the medical history and other tests. The transplant team makes the decisions about whether you require a transplant and if it can be done safely. Other aspects of your health conditions, like lungs, heart, kidneys, mental health, and immune system also need to be checked. That way, the guiding healthcare team can ensure that you are a safe candidate for the surgery.

4. Can anyone with liver problems get a transplant?

You cannot undergo a liver transplant if you:

Have cancer in any other part of your body
Have major heart, lung, or nerve diseases
Consume alcohol or take illegal drugs
Are unable to follow doctor’s advice

5. How is a transplant decision made?

The liver transplant decision is taken in consultation with everyone who is involved in the patient’s care, including liver transplant surgeons and the patient’s family. The patient and family’s consent is essential to understand that they are aware of the risks & benefits involved.

6. How long does it take to get a new liver for a patient who’s on the transplant list?

For a liver transplant patient, his/her name gets uploaded on a waiting list. Patients are listed based on the type of blood, size of the body, and other medical conditions. A priority score is given to the patients based on three blood tests, i.e. creatinine, bilirubin, and INR (measures the time for the blood to clot).

Patients with the maximum scores are the priority candidates for transplant. With time, as they become more ill, these scores increase which in turn increases their priority for a transplant.

7. How does a liver transplant get available?

There exist two types of liver transplant options – Living donor liver transplant and deceased donor liver transplant.

Living donor liver transplants involve eliminating a section of the liver from a healthy living donor and then, implanting it into the patient who is the recipient with end-stage liver disease. Both the donor and recipient’s liver portions grow back to normal size in a few weeks.

The donor could be a relative, spouse, or friend; they will have to undergo medical and psychological assessments to ensure the lowest possible risks. The living donors and livers to be donated are tested before transplant surgery. The testing ensures the liver is healthy, matches the blood type, and is the right size so it has the best chance of working in your body.

A deceased donor liver transplant involves a donor who could be a victim of an accident, or who has a brain hemorrhage or any kind of head injury. In such cases, the donor’s heart still beats, but the brain stops functioning. A person is then considered legally dead as his or her brain permanently and irreversibly stops functioning. At this stage, the donor usually is in a critical care unit and the liver is donated, with the consent of the next of kin. Such a donor is referred to as a cadaveric donor.

8. Will the donor and the recipient need to have the same tissue type, sex, age, etc.?

The only requirements for liver transplant surgeries are that the donor and recipient need to be of approximately the same size and compatible blood types. No other match is required.

9. How safe is a liver donation?

Liver donation is safe. After a part of the liver is removed, it grows back to its original size quickly within 2-3 months. The donor does not have to take any medication beyond 2-3 weeks and does not suffer from any long-term effects. He or she gets back to normal life in a month.

10. What are some of the risks of pre and post-surgery?

The prime risk before the surgery is the development of acute complications resulting from liver diseases. With transplantation too, there are a few risks that are common to all forms of major surgeries.

One of the major risks a patient would face is not having any liver function for a brief period. Some major risks immediately after surgery are bleeding, poor function of the grafted liver, and infections. The patient is also kept under careful monitoring for several weeks for any signs of rejection of the liver.

11. How to take care of my liver after being discharged from the hospital?

After your discharge, you will have to visit your liver transplant specialist as per the instructions given to be sure that your new liver is functioning properly, not being damaged by rejection, infections, or problems with blood vessels or bile ducts. You will have to be careful about avoiding people with infections and must immediately report any signs of illnesses to your liver transplant specialist.

You may need home care assistance at home, like while walking. Coughing and deep breathing are essential to help the lungs stay healthy and to prevent pneumonia. A proper diet from a dietician is a must. After 3-6 months, a person may resume work if he/she feels fit and gets permission from a physician. Besides maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, abstain from excessive alcohol consumption.

12. Can I resume my normal activities?

Most people can go back to their normal activities after a liver transplant surgery. Getting the strength back takes some time, depending on the intensity of the illness before the transplant. Liver Transplant Specialist would be telling you how long your recovery period is going to take.

Most people go back to eating as they did before. A few medications may cause weight gain, diabetes, or a rise in cholesterol. Therefore, meal planning and a balanced low-fat diet will help you remain healthy. Liver Transplant patients tend to gain weight because they retain water. It is advised to lower their intake of salt to reduce or eliminate the problem.

Most individuals can easily engage in physical activities after a successful liver transplant. People can resume a normal sex life post their liver transplantation. Women need to avoid conceiving in the first year after transplantation. You should talk to your liver transplant specialist and a gynaecologist about reproduction after transplantation.

Be Wary of These Common Respiratory Problems This Winter

Common Respiratory Problems This Winter

Mr. Kumar has long been suffering from asthma but the winters are especially hard for him to get through. He has to be extra cautious and cannot do without an inhaler for a day.

A blast of cold air in the face as you step outdoors is a quick reminder of the onset of winter. And a deep breath of icy air can be perilous for people with breathing problems. As the temperature drops, the air typically becomes drier due to lack of moisture and results in symptoms, such as wheezing, throat irritation and laboured breathing.

What Aggravates Breathing Problems in Winter?

It all comes back to dry air. Dry, cold air can narrow the airways and irritate the lungs, causing difficulty breathing. Cold air can also disrupt the layer of moisture lining our lower airways by causing it to evaporate faster than normal before it can be replaced. Besides, mucus, the protective layer of the throat, also becomes stickier and thicker than normal in cold weather. This may block the airways and increase one’s chances of catching infections or cold.

Other factors that trigger breathing problems in winter include:

Pollution
Smog
Smoke and dust particles
Seasonal allergies

What Are Some of the Common Respiratory Problems in Cold?

The most common types of breathing problems in winter are as follows:

Asthma
Cold air is a common trigger of asthma and can cause flare-ups. Moreover, flu, cold and other infections tend to be on the rise during winter. These conditions are known to aggravate asthma symptoms in some people.

Bronchitis
Inflammation of the respiratory passage allowing air to enter the lungs may lead to bronchitis. Both chronic and acute bronchitis may exhibit symptoms similar to those of cold but are more severe. The common signs include chest congestion, coughing up mucus, shortness of breath and wheezing.

Pneumonia
Although pneumonia results from a viral or bacterial infection, the cold weather may have a role to play. Cold air can make an existing cough or respiratory infection like pneumonia worse, causing symptoms like shallow, rapid breathing, shortness of breath and fever.

COPD
During winter, COPD patients are more prone to illness. Strong wind and low temperatures negatively affect the lungs while exposure to cold air causes dramatic changes to the respiratory system by narrowing the airways and triggering flare-ups that can increase mucus production, difficulty breathing and coughing. Not only are these flares and exacerbations uncomfortable, but can also be life-threatening.

How to Care for Your Lungs This Winter

Given the propensity of respiratory flare-ups and poor air quality during winters, here are a few measures you should be taking to keep your lungs healthy and going:

Warm It Up – Dress in warm clothing, especially when stepping out in the cold. Be sure to cover your nose and mouth with a scarf to prevent cold air from entering the lungs.

Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness – Since pet dander, dust and molds tend to circulate in the air more during winters, make sure you keep your surroundings clean. Don’t forget to wash your hands often before touching the nose or mouth to avoid the risk of infections.

Avoid strenuous outdoor activities – Strenuous physical activities, such as running or jogging, can leave you exhausted and gasping for air, thus triggering breathing problems. Instead, try performing light exercises at home. Breathing exercises are especially beneficial for improving lung capacity.

Eat healthy and stay hydrated – A wholesome diet and plenty of water can work wonders for your lungs. Carrots and red bell peppers are known to improve asthma symptoms and boost overall lung health effectively.

Don’t skip medications – People with respiratory conditions must continue taking medications as prescribed, and keep an inhaler handy during winters.

Living with asthma, COPD or chronic bronchitis can be particularly challenging in winter. If you experience wheezing and coughing, fatigue, and breathing problem symptoms, seek medical help immediately.

How To Care For Your Heart In Winters

How to Stay Safe

Winter is the time for celebrations and fun activities – but not for your heart! Besides the common cold and flu, the winters bring several possible threats to heart patients, which may even turn fatal.

How Does the Cold Weather Affect Your Heart?

In winter, your heart has to work twice as hard to pump oxygen throughout the body to keep you warm while the cold temperature causes the arteries to constrict, thus restricting the flow of blood and reducing the supply of oxygen to the heart muscles. Due to this, the chances of developing blood clots and having a stroke or heart attack are higher during winter.

Besides, as the temperature starts to fall, your blood pressure and cholesterol levels start shooting up, thus putting you at an increased risk of a heart attack.

Here are a few instances where a person may be exposed to a host of cardiovascular ailments:

Overexertion

Going for a run or brisk walking in harsh, cold weather can cause exertion, thereby increasing the demand for oxygen to the heart. People with an arterial blockage may not be conditioned for such strenuous outdoor activities.

Exposure to Cold

Sudden exposure to the cold can cause the blood vessels to clamp down, blocking the flow of blood and causing the skin to turn blue due to the sharp drop in oxygen levels. A person in this situation is known to be having a vasospastic attack.

Overheating

While dressing in warm clothes is important to keep your body heated in winter, try avoiding performing vigorous exercises in heavy, warm clothing. This is important because your body will need to release the heat when you are overheated. Too much warm clothing can prevent that from happening and cause the blood vessels to dilate. This may lower your blood pressure drastically, triggering a heart attack.

Influenza

Seasonal flu can also lead to a heart attack in patients at risk. Fever due to the flu makes your heart beat rapidly, thus increasing oxygen demand. Your blood pressure may also drop below normal due to dehydration, which again, reduces oxygen supply to the heart muscle. The lack of supply of oxygenated blood can cause a heart attack in winter.

What Are the Common Winter Heart Conditions

Heart patients are vulnerable to the following cardiac conditions during winter:

Hypothermia

This refers to a medical condition wherein the body loses heat faster than it can generate. Hypothermia causes the body temperature to plummet below the normal range i.e. 98.6F. In hypothermia patients, the body temperature falls below 95F.

Signs of hypothermia include:

Shivering
Fatigue, exhaustion
Drowsiness
Slurred speech

Angina

Angina is itself a symptom of Coronary Artery Disease, which occurs when the heart does not receive sufficient oxygenated blood. Due to restricted blood flow in winter, a person may experience angina pectoris.

Angina symptoms include:

Chest pain and discomfort that lasts several minutes
A squeezing pressure in the chest
Tightness or heaviness in the chest
Sweating and shortness of breath

Tips to Ensure Heart Health in Winter

Here are a few things you can do to look after your heart in the harsh winters:

Stay indoors on cold days and keep your home warm. You can use an electric blanket or a hot water bottle at home.
Stay active, and move around more often even when you are not performing strenuous exercises.
Wear warm, thin layers of clothing when stepping outdoors.
Have a warm bowl of soup or broth to warm yourself up.
Eat a balanced diet comprising leafy greens and seasonal fruits, whole grains, healthy fats etc.
Cut back on alcohol and carbonated drinks.
Quit smoking if you haven’t yet.

Exercising regularly, eating right and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help to improve your heart health not only during winter but in all seasons.

The cold weather can spell trouble for your heart. Some cardiac conditions may call for emergency treatment. Hence, it is best to look out for the symptoms and consult a doctor right away. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can be fatal or increase the risk of complications.

Is Diabetes Causing Your Skin Problems?

Diabetes can affect every part of the human body, including the skin. Experts say that at least one-third of diabetic patients, in their lifetime, will have to deal with some kind of skin infection or the other. Such skin problems are sometimes the first sign that an individual has diabetes. Most of these skin conditions can be prevented or treated if diagnosed early.

Some of these skin problems (like bacterial infections) are conditions anyone can have, but people suffering from diabetes may acquire these more easily. Other skin problems happen to people with diabetes. These include necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic dermopathy, and diabetic blisters.

How Diabetes Affects Skin

Diabetes can have an impact on the skin in several ways. High blood glucose levels or hyperglycaemia cause most skin problems. Excess sugar in the blood prompts the body to pull fluid from cells to produce enough urine to eliminate the sugar, which makes skin dry (xerosis).

Dry, red, and irritated skin can result from damaged nerves, particularly those in the legs and feet. Damaged nerves may not get the message to perspire, and perspiration helps keep the skin moist and soft.

In turn, when the skin is overly dry, it can crack, peel and become itchy. Scratching can create small openings. These openings provide easy access for infectious organisms to get under the skin, where excess sugar in the blood provides a fertile breeding ground for them to proliferate.

Common Skin Conditions Linked to Diabetes

Itching skin, or pruritus, can have several causes, such as dry skin, poor blood flow, or a yeast infection. When itching is caused by poor blood flow, you will feel it in your feet and/or lower legs. Lotion can keep the skin moist, preventing itching due to dry skin.

Bacterial infections: Staphylococcus skin infections are more serious and common in individuals with uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes. When hair follicles are irritated, the bacteria can cause inflamed bumps or boils.

Other infections also include:

Styes
Nail infections
Carbuncles (deep skin and tissue infection)

Vitiligo: This condition affects skin colour. It’s more common in those suffering from type 1 diabetes. With vitiligo, the cells that make melanin, the substance that gives your skin colour, are destroyed. Patches of skin start looking discolored. They appear on the chest and stomach. But they can also show up on the face around the nose, mouth and eyes.
Shin spots (diabetic dermopathy): This condition happens due to changes caused in the blood vessels present in your skin. Dermopathy appears as an oval or shiny round lesion on the skin of your shins. The patches don’t hurt and rarely cause an itching sensation.

Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum:

Another disease that may be caused by changes in blood vessels is necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum (NLD). NLD causes spots similar to diabetic dermopathy, but they are fewer, larger, and deeper.

NLD is a rare condition that commonly begins as a red, raised area. After a while, it looks like a scar with a violet border and blood vessels beneath the skin may become easier to see. Sometimes NLD spots can crack open and may become itchy and painful. As long as the sores do not break open, you need not worry too much. But if the sores open up, see a doctor.

Diabetic blisters (bullosis diabeticorum):

Rarely, patients suffering from diabetes erupt in blisters. Diabetic blisters can occur on the hands, feet, back of the fingers and sometimes on the forearms or legs. The sores look like burn blisters and are common in people who suffer from diabetic neuropathy. The only treatment is to keep blood sugar levels in control.

Eruptive xanthomatosis:

Eruptive xanthomatosis is another condition caused by diabetes identified by yellow, pea-like enlargements on the skin, on the backs of hands, feet, arms and legs. The disorder generally occurs in young men with type 1 diabetes. The person often has high levels of cholesterol and fat in the blood. Like diabetic blisters, these bumps may disappear when diabetes is in control.

Care of Your Skin When You Have Diabetes

To prevent skin problems and facilitate early treatment of problems that develop:

Thoroughly inspect your skin, especially on your feet, between your toes, and around the finger and toenails. Keep a check for redness, scrapes, cuts, calluses or blisters
Keep your skin folds — such as the area under your breasts or your groin — dry. Moist areas increase the risk of infection
Dry the area in-between your toes after bathing
Use soap only when needed and choose the one that has a moisturizer. Avoid using deodorant soaps, which may dry your skin
If your skin is dry, do not go for bubble baths. Try using a bath oil instead

When to Call a Doctor

When you have diabetes, your skin needs special attention. Beyond a daily skin care routine, call or visit your doctor right away if you:

Don’t see an improvement the day after treating a minor problem, like a cut
Have discomfort or pain that lasts for more than two days
Have a temperature
Notice any pus near the wound

Parkinson’s Disease: Stages, Symptoms, and Treatment

If you are you experiencing sudden tremors and seem to be dropping things more often, don’t write it off as clumsiness. It could be due to a medical condition you never knew you had.

The Onset of Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects one’s ability to move. The symptoms show up gradually over time, starting with a tremor in one hand that is barely noticeable. Sometimes, the condition can also cause stiffness, thus slowing or restricting movement.

Parkinson’s occurs when the nerve cells (known as neurons) in the brain become impaired gradually and die. Normally, the nerve cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that sends signals to the portion of your brain responsible for controlling movement and coordination. In the case of Parkinson’s disease, a decrease in the level of dopamine produced triggers abnormal activity in the brain, leading to movement impairment and other symptoms.

A more serious condition related to Parkinson’s disease is Parkinson’s Plus Syndrome. The term is used to define a group of neurodegenerative ailments having the classic traits of Parkinson’s (rigidity, tremors, postural instability and bradykinesia/akinesia), in addition to certain other features that separate them from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Stages of the Disease

Parkinson’s can be categorized into five stages depending on the severity of the symptoms.

Stage 1

This is when Parkinson’s is in its mildest form with negligible or no symptoms at all. If you do have symptoms, they are likely to stay confined to one side of your body and may not affect your daily activities.

Stage 2

The progression of the disorder to the second stage takes several months, sometimes years. Muscle stiffness, changes in facial expressions and posture are more noticeable at this stage.

Stage 3

This is when the symptoms become more evident. One is likely to encounter new debilitating symptoms that interfere with basic tasks. Slower movements, balance issues and falls become significant too.

Stage 4

At this stage, the person will experience significant changes, such as difficulty walking or even standing without assistance.

Stage 5

The last stage of Parkinson’s is the most advanced one. The symptoms become aggressive and the affected person may need assistance to perform basic tasks. Besides, hallucinations, delusions and confusion are also common.

Common Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

These may differ from person to person. A person may experience the symptoms on one side of the body before they start worsening and affecting the other side. The common signs and symptoms of the disorder include:

Tremors in the arms, hands, legs, head and jaw
Stiffness of the trunk and limbs
Slowing of movement
Lack of coordination and poor balance, often causing a person to lose balance and fall
Speech problems
Change in handwriting
Decreased ability to smell
Giving off a musky odour
Stooped posture
Difficulty concentrating and memorizing
Hallucinations, psychosis
Flaky yellow/white scales on the skin

Diagnosis and Treatment

There’s no certain test for diagnosing Parkinson’s. Your medical history, symptoms and a combination of neurological and physical exams are used as diagnostic tools.

Medications, therapies and lifestyle changes are recommended to treat Parkinson’s disease. However, you doctor may recommended surgery – Deep Brain Stimulation as a permanent cure if your condition demands it.

Early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s can help slow its progression and improve the quality of life.

Alzheimer’s: Be Wary of These Early Signs

Do you find yourself struggling to perform daily chores that seemed easy earlier? Are you having a tough time planning your monthly grocery list? Don’t take this lightly for these could be the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease!

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disorder, which causes brain cells to degenerate and eventually dies. It is the most common form of dementia (an age-related degenerative condition) that affects an individual’s behaviour, social and cognitive skills, thus disrupting one’s quality of life.

Causes and Risk Factors

Though the exact cause is not known, the abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain is believed to cause the condition. Over time the brain cells get affected as the chemical messengers (neurons) involved in transmitting messages start decreasing. This causes different parts of the brain to shrink and the person’s ability to think and remember gets affected, progressively making it difficult to perform normal tasks.

The following are the risk factors for Alzheimer’s:

Age – Alzheimer’s affects the elderly, particularly above the age of 65
Family history – The chances of developing Alzheimer’s are higher if anyone in the family has had it previously
Genetics – Alzheimer’s disease is linked to certain genes
Head injuries
Cardiovascular conditions
Diabetes
Obesity
High blood pressure

Having any of the above risk factors does not mean you will develop Alzheimer’s disease. It only increases your chances of having it.

How Do I Know It Is Alzheimer’s?

We all keep forgetting things occasionally. But with Alzheimer’s, a person displays certain recurring symptoms and behaviour that deteriorate over time. Symptoms may include the following:

Loss of memory that affects one’s routine activities, such as the inability to remember assignments
Forgetting names of people, places and recent events
Inability to recognize familiar faces
Difficulty performing basic tasks, like using a washing machine
Difficulty solving problems
Trouble with writing and speech
Inability to learn and cope with changing situations
Poor or decreased judgement
Mood swings and changes in personality
Hallucinations, delusions
Increasing dependency on others

Can the Condition Be Treated?

The disease can develop slowly over the years and progress aggressively in the later stages. Medications can help manage mild to severe symptoms. Apart from this, care from support groups and modifications in lifestyle can go a long way in reducing the symptoms and improving the quality of life.

When to See a Doctor

In the initial stage of Alzheimer’s disease, people tend to undergo mood alterations. They may become easily annoyed, depressed or anxious. Many lose interest in hobbies and social gatherings. These changes can be challenging and hard to cope with for both the person, as well as the family. It is advisable to seek the help of a doctor and relevant support groups to monitor and handle the degenerative condition. While none of this will halt the progress of the disease, it can help you deal with the situation better.

Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal ageing. It is a neurodegenerative disorder that calls for medical attention. With early diagnosis, treatment and care group support, people with this condition can have improved quality of life.

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

There is an avalanche of knowledge available at the click of a mouse button on heart health, as well as a heart attack. Yet one finds that no matter what our theoretical knowledge may be, when it comes to acting on very obvious warning signs, we tend to ignore and therefore fall prey to one of the easily avoidable health and death traps: a heart attack!

What Is a Heart Attack?

If we were to define a heart attack simply, it is just a blood clot in the artery that blocks blood flow to the heart. Without blood, heart tissue loses oxygen and dies. Make no mistake; it is a medical emergency.

While movie and TV actors usually clutch their chests in pain, there are other very obvious signs and symptoms that one must learn to recognize, as it may mean the difference between life and death, whether our own, or a loved one’s.

What Really Happens During an Attack?

It is said that one person’s symptoms may be quite different from another’s. You may be able to continue what you were doing; having a conversation or completing your meal. However, you will be able to tell that all is not well even if you do not suffer sudden chest pain or feel like you will pass out. Some heart attacks come on suddenly and are intense. But for most, it starts slowly, causing you mild pain or discomfort.

What Are the Common Signs and Symptoms?

The attack gives out some common warning signs, chest discomfort like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, lasting more than a few minutes (it may go away and return), discomfort/pain in other areas like one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath, and other possible signs that include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. Do not ignore these signs!

With both men and women, a common heart attack symptom is chest pain (angina) or discomfort. But women have higher chances of developing some of the other common symptoms, particularly pain in the jaw or back, vomiting/nausea, and shortness of breath. To know more about sudden cardiac death (SCD) in women, click here.

Is it gas pain or chest pain? Learn to tell the difference. Though both may cause some kind of chest pain, beware of pain that resembles a strong pressure applied to the chest, pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including neck, back, shoulders, arms, a pain in the jaw that is particularly common in women, shortness of breath or inability to catch the breath, profuse sweating, feeling lightheaded or woozy, and nausea.

What Are the Treatment Options?

Treatment after a heart attack will depend upon its severity and will range from lifestyle changes and cardiac rehab to medication, stents or even bypass surgery.

The Mantra to Remember: Even if you are unsure whether that pain in your or your loved one’s chest is a heart attack or not, do not put it down to tugging of the heart-strings. Focus on getting to the hospital without any delay. The sooner blood flow is restored, the lesser the damage to your heart tissue. It could make all the difference!

To know about the treatment options available at Medica, click here.

Osteoporosis: It is Not Just for Women

The first time Sudheer decided to get his father checked by a bone specialist was after his father’s 60th birthday. When gathering in the backyard to cut the birthday cake, Sudheer’s father had an accidental fall and fractured his wrist. Considering his age, the doctor asked him to undergo a bone density test. The results showed that he was suffering from osteoporosis. The doctor then explained to him what this disease was and how he could possibly manage it.

Osteoporosis has long been considered a women’s disease because 80% of those affected are women. But research over the decade suggests that osteoporosis also takes a significant toll on men. Worldwide, it is estimated that after the age of 50 one in three women will experience osteoporotic fractures, as well as one in five men. Such fractures are a major cause of disability in both men and women. To know more about why osteoporosis is more common in women, click here.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when the body loses too many bones, creates too few bones, or both. As a result, bones become weak and may easily break from a fall or, in more severe cases, from minor bumps or even sneezing.

Osteoporosis means ‘porous bones’. Viewed under a microscope, healthy bones looks like a honeycomb. When osteoporosis occurs, the spaces and holes in the honeycomb appear to be much larger than in healthy bones.

What are the Causes of Osteoporosis?

Human bones are in a constant state of renewal — new bones are made and old bones are broken down. When young, our body makes new bones faster than the rate at which it breaks down old bones. This results in increased bone mass. From the early 20s, the process slows down and most people reach their peak bone mass by the time they turn 30. As people age, bone mass is lost faster.

How likely you might develop osteoporosis depends on how much bone mass you attained in your youth. Peak bone mass is somewhat inherited and varies from one ethnic group to the other. The higher your peak bone mass, the more bones you have and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you start ageing.

What are the Secondary Causes of Osteoporosis?

There are numerous secondary causes of osteoporosis, including adverse effects of certain types of drug therapy, endocrine disorders, eating disorders, immobilization, marrow-related disorders, disorders of the biliary or gastrointestinal tract, renal diseases and cancer.

Patients who have undergone organ transplantation are also at risk for osteoporosis. In many cases, adverse effects of osteoporosis are reversible with appropriate intervention.

What are the common signs and symptoms of osteoporosis?

There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include:

Back pain resulting from a collapsed or fractured vertebra
Loss of height with time
A stooped posture
Bone(s) that break more easily than expected

Does Osteoporosis Run in Your Family?

If one of your parents has had a broken bone, get screened earlier for osteoporosis, a medical condition which causes bones to become weak. As a result, they are more likely to break. Share your family health history with your doctor and he/she can help take steps to strengthen your bones and prevent broken bones.

Osteoporosis Treatments

Treatment aims to:

Slow the development of osteoporosis
Maintain healthy bone mineral density and mass
Prevent fractures
Reduce pain
Maximize the person’s ability to continue with daily activities

People at risk can use preventive lifestyle measures, medications as prescribed by doctors and physical therapies for controlling osteoporosis.

How do I improve my bone health naturally if I have osteoporosis?

There are steps you can take to strengthen weak bones:

Take medications to strengthen your bones
Avoid medications that make your bones weaker
Maintain a healthy diet that includes adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium
Perform weight-bearing exercises daily
Avoid smoking
Limit alcohol consumption

Don’t wait until you have a broken bone to take steps to improve your bone health — you can start at any age!

To know more about the treatment options available at Medica, click here.